SAT Classes

I recently started teaching an SAT class at a privately owned, franchised Korean learning center in Santa Clara. Due to the limited hours and post tennis rush hour commute, I'm not likely to be teaching there beyond this summer. There are a couple of really interesting things about teaching this class.

First, the class materials are reminiscent of typical SAT prep books, but something about them is a little bit....odd. Many of the word list definitions are a bit off--reading more like a bad thesaurus. This oddity is compounded by an ever present written reminder stressing the limited interchangeability of synonyms on every word list page. Beyond this, the materials seem to stress English language skills more than SAT test taking skills. It's becoming increasingly clear to me that these materials were probably not written (nor intended to be used) by native English speakers.

Second, my students have all apparently been enrolled, against their will, for four or five hours of summer classes a day at this learning center by their parents. And they hail from all over the Bay Area. In fact, I think all of them have a longer commute than me. Based on this committment, you'd think this learning center was something exceptional. That certainly remains to be seen.

What is clear, however, is that none of my students actually want to be there. And who can blame them. Who actually wants to take an SAT test prep class? But this is worse than the typical class, where the students grudgingly show up because they know it'll improve their scores. These kids actually don't want to be there at all. With rare exception, I don't think they even appreciate that their scores might improve by being there.

So early on I expressed my sympathy for their predicament and proposed a sort of compromise. They commited to doing the work and being reasonably attentive; and I promised to try to make the class as quick, painless, and effiecient as possible. I try to make it entertaining as well, but how interesting can you truly make the SATs? Most of the time it's all I can do to keep them alert and focused.